Who has it easier in the dating world - Men or Women?

From a woman's perspective, I always thought that men have it easier in the dating world.  And all my girlfriends agree with me.  But to be fair, I asked several guy friends to share their views on the advantages and disadvantages of being a man in the dating world.  Here are our thoughts:

One of my guy friends commented, "Dating is like sex - men do all the work, women decide how much work they want to do.  In the end, the man is always at fault if it was a bad experience (and it's usually the woman who decides if it was a bad experience)."
  

From The Bachelor

Advantages for men in the dating world:
1.  Men are expected to initiate.  This gives them control in picking the girl to ask out, planning the date (choosing the restaurant), if/when to call girl again, etc.
2.  Men can date a wider range of women in terms of age.  It is more socially acceptable if men date women who are significantly younger or older than them.  It may even be considered a compliment if an older man is dating a much younger woman because it will give the sense that he is still attractive (he has still got "it").  However, for serious relationships, women cannot usually date significantly younger men they are still "boys."  They tend to be less mature, in a different stage of life, not financially stable, or not ready to get married and have children.  Although younger women may share some of these characteristics, women are typically more mature or ready to marry and have children.  In addition, it is less important if women are not financially stable because men are usually the providers.
3.  Men are looked upon as "studs" if they date a lot of women.  Women are considered promiscuous if they date a lot of men.




Disadvantages for men:
1.  Attractive women are highly sought by other men and are often asked out.
2.  Men are expected to ask the woman out, plan the date, entertain her, and initiate the kiss, which requires more effort on their part, adds pressure, and puts them at risk for rejection.
3.  Men are expected to pay for the date so it can hurt their wallet.
4.  Men are considered less desirable if they do not have good career, money, or a place of their own. This may not be the case for women. 

From The Bachelorette

Advantages for women in the dating world:
1.  Women don't have to initiate or plan.  We leave that for the men so it is less "work."
2.  Women spend less money on dating.  Men typically pay, and some venues (clubs, lounges) may allow women to get in for free on certain nights. 

Disadvantages for women:
1.  Women have to wait for men to ask them out, kiss them, or call for another date.
2.  Women who are extremely intelligent, successful, powerful, or have money may intimidate some men.  Men are typically the providers.  
(See my post on Difficulties of being a woman with a successful career in dating.)
3.  Few "good" (heterosexual) men are available as we age because they are already taken.

I did an experiment to see how hard men have it on the dating scene, so I initiated contact with 10 men on the dating website whom I found attractive. (BTW, my friend advised me not to contact people on a Friday or Saturday night because it will appear that I do not have a social life.)  So far, I have not received any responses.  Perhaps they are not interested, or some may wait a little before replying as to not appear overinterested, or they may be currently in a relationship. 

So who has it easier in the dating world - men or women?  My conclusion is neither.  Both genders have their own set of darn issues.  However, I do think it is easier for women when we are younger because men do most of the "work," but more difficult for women as we get older because the selection of men is limited due to age constraints (and because men prefer younger women).